Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-20

The foregoing are few varieties chosen
from over 80, which have been tested
this year, and they are selected with
view of pointing out some of the most OBJ
vious conclusions concerning resisting
quality.
First-The value Of early sowing is APP
parent, for it is shown that quite number
of varieties which yielded entirely to the
fly last year were able this year, by having
a growing season month longer, to pull
through and make fair to good yield on
the same ground that they failed on last
year. At the same time it appears that
the time of sowing does not fully hold the
key to the situation, for some varieties were
destroyed both years. The full report will
show more instances of this kind than il
is thought worth while to cite at this
time
Second-That the resisting quality in
heres in the variety largely, is shown by
the continued resistance of the varieties
which succeeded last year, and which were
therefore sent out for experiment in fly
infested districts last winter These va
rieties are the first six enumerated in the
table above. In most of these cases an i'm
proved yield was secured by earlier sowing
this year, but whether yielding little or
much, they had the same distastefulness to
the fly.
INFORMATION DESIRED.
This brief statement is made chiefly
with the design OF drawing out reports
from those to whom we sent resisting va
rieties for trial Such local experience
will be of great value in the full discus
or ,rbt .l, =
not only the facts of yield and behavior of
these varieties themselves but COMPARE
son of them with other varieties commonly
sown in the localities; also what is the
conclusion of the grower of the value of
these strong growing varieties, either for
home use or in the market.
During the year we have been in CORES
pondence with Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod,
Consulting Entomologist of the ROYAL
Agricultural Society of England in refer
ence to the Hessian fly and its work. Miss
Ormerod announced the discovery of the
fly in English grainfelds in July, 1856.
Up to that time its presence had not been
observed. Miss Ormerod's tenth report
contains very interesting description of
her investigations and study of the insect.
One point on which Miss Ormerod desires
the observation of others who may be hand
ling fiy-infested grain is the point at which
the tlaxseeds or puparia are deposited in the
process of thrashing. She did not find them
in the cleaned grain nor in the chatf blown
out by the fan, but found them in great
abundance with the screenings which in
English practice seem to be deposited Just
beneath the machine This point in Califor-
MIA would depend upon the kind of cleaner
which is used with the thrasher We
would esteem it a favor if any reader who
may have the opportunity to make exam
nation on this point would send us the
results.
The puparia are called fax-seeds," from
their resemblance thereto. They are gen.
orally about one sixth of an inch long,
smooth, spindle-shaped, or pointed at both
ends, and of different shades of chestnut
color. When very thickly crowded in the
stem, they are irregularly compressed, but
would still be recognizable We shall be
glad to receive notes on the occurrence of
such bodies in screenings, and to receive
small samples of screenings which NAV be
thought to contain them. OF course if it
is found that these bodies are largely ap-
gregated by the process of thrashing,
measures can be taken to somewhat reduce
the pest by treatment of the screenings,
which is calculated to destroy the insect
when in this FORM Such measures,
coupled with burning the straw and stub
bic right after removing the grain from the
field, would seem to be a serions blow to
the increase of the fly. Our experiment
this year included a large collection of va
rieties of barley. The results, which will
he more fully discussed at another time,
show that barleys were much less seri-
ously affected this year than last. and that
numher OF kinds which failed last year
gave very satisfactory results this year